Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand. When one is activated, no sooner, the other will be triggered as well. When someone experiences anxiety incessantly, this leads to an unending rush of adrenaline into their system. With their bodies in constant adrenaline high, these anxiety sufferers will eventually grow tired from feeling fearful and apprehensive. The exhaustion felt causes the sense of hopelessness and helplessness. This is the point where depression takes anxiety’s place.
Typically, unmanaged and prolonged stress can lead to anxiety and depression. However, hormonal changes brought on by menopause as well as nutritional deficits can contribute to the development and exaggeration of these mental health conditions.
If you suffer from these anxious and depressive states, here are a few things you can add to your routine and habits to help alleviate these symptoms.
1. Herbal Interventions
Long before modern drugs have been invented and formulated, many people have already relied on natural herbs to relieve the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Although these traditional treatments have been set aside to make way for more advanced medicine, many still have not entirely abandoned this way of treatment. Some of the most common herbal treatments still used today include St. John’s Wort and kava kava. Black cohosh is also used to treat anxiety induced by hormonal changes.
a. St. John’s Wort
Hypericum perforatum has long been used for the treatment of anxiety, mild to moderate depression and sleep disorders. It is believed that its active compounds, hypericin and hyperforin, are responsible for its medicinal uses.
b. Kava Kava
Piper methysticum has been used by South Pacific islanders as a ceremonial beverage as well as a natural sleep-inducer and treatment for infections and fatigue. Today, it is primarily used for the management of anxiety, menopausal symptoms and sleeplessness.
c. Black Cohosh
For anxiety symptoms induced by hormonal changes of menopause, women can use Actaea Racemosa. It is highly effective in managing hot flashes, night sweats and depression.
2. Nutritional Supplements
Poor eating habits and lack of nutritional content of foods you eat can lead to anxiety and depression symptoms. Certain vitamins and minerals are needed by the brain and the body to maintain proper nerve function and to restore energy to fight off stress.
a. Vitamin B Complexes
Vitamin B complexes play a big role in the production of brain chemicals that help regulate mood. Low levels of B vitamins such as B6, folate and B12 have been linked to depression. To mend deficiencies, you need to include fish meat, eggs, milk and fortified cereals in your diet.
b. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Your body does not produce its own omega-3 fatty acids that help decrease inflammation as well as provide nourishment to your brain. Hence, consume enough portions of fish regularly or take fish oil supplements to resolve your anxiety and depression.
c. Magnesium
The mineral magnesium is very important for proper nerve conduction. It said to have a calming effect on symptoms of stress and anxiety. Diet sources of magnesium include lentils, yogurt, almonds, and spinach.
3. Acupuncture
“The mind and body are inseparable,” Oriental Medicine has always advocated this thought. Following this concept, acupuncturists believe that diseases will develop when the connection between the mind and the body is blocked. To restore the harmony, needles are stuck into special points in the body that results in improved circulation, nerve conduction and lymphatic drainage.
4. Keep a “Thank You” Journal
Anxiety and depression are two disorders granted from your negative thoughts and construed thinking. They take root when you fail to let go of mistakes and when you linger on the uncertainties of life. To weed them out, you have to change course and focus on things that are positive. You have to instill in your mind that all that matters are the things that give joy and solace to the heart. To keep track of things to be grateful for, create a “thank you” journal. At the end of the day, write down all the things you are grateful for. Keeping a journal such as this will keep you in a positive state and away from all the negative things.
5. Disclose Your Worries
No man is an island. Man needs someone to talk to and lean on when things are not going so well. And since being ailed with anxiety and depression are big reasons enough to find company, you should not be afraid to open up to someone about how you feel. Opening up to someone close to you or to whom you trust about the things that bother and ail you will help give you some relief from all the heavy emotions and burdens you are carrying. Going over your painful experiences and letting it out to a friend who will not judge you can help you come to terms with these encounters.
Anxiety & depression may be tough. But prove yourself to be tougher. As mere feelings and states, they can be easily extinguished. And with the right keys to unlock and release them, you will soon be set free.